It is common knowledge that walking is great for you. It’s good for your heart, good for your waistline, and it is good for your circulation

But here is something else for you to think about: why not use your walking as a time for meditation?. Most people start walking because it’s an excellent form of exercise, injuries are rarely experienced and there is no learning involved. Easy, easy, easy.

You don’t need any special equipment. Just start walking and you are instantly on your way to better health. When you add meditation to your walking, you will find the experience invaluable.

So what is walking meditation, or mindful walking? It is when you deliberately focus on your every step. You don’t have to increase your speed, in fact, you might begin by walking slower so you can get the hang of mindful walking.

When you focus on your walking, focus on how it feels as you raise your foot then place it back down, one step at a time. The practice of mindful walking has its roots in Buddhism, in particular the art of Ayatana. Christianity also has its version of walking meditation: walking the labyrinth.

Utilizing mindful walking helps you focus on the present. As you become more skilled at concentrating your focus on your footsteps and not on the troubles of your day, you will find your stress melting away.

The most familiar forms of meditation have you sitting with eyes shut, concentrating on mental clarity. With mindful walking, your eyes are wide open, taking in the outside world. This gives the walker the opportunity to get outside of the head and all its chatter; a very valuable experience, especially for westerners.

Basic guidelines for walking meditation:

* Conduct your walking meditation in an area that you are familiar with.

* Attempt to walk for a 20 minute time period. If you find that is too long for you, then you may want to begin with a 5 minute period and work your way up to 20 minutes.

* Start walking with a relaxed posture.

* Concentrate on how your feet feel.

* Relax your arms.

* Gently focus about three to six feet in front of you as you walk.

In conclusion, it is very easy to incorporate walking meditation into your regular daily routine. Not only will it improve your physical well-being, but you will also be taking your exercise program to a higher level by improving your mind and spirit.

Happy walking.

About the Author:

Barbara Williamson resides in Birmingham, Alabama and writes about Alternative Health. Visit Alternative Healing to access more valuable information on this topic.

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